American Democracy Project

Georgia College is a campus affiliate of The American Democracy Project (ADP), a multi-campus initiative focused on public higher education’s role in preparing the next generation of informed, engaged citizens for our democracy. The project began in 2003 as an initiative of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), in partnership with The New York Times. The Georgia College American Democracy Project engages students, faculty, staff, and area citizens in civil discourse around topics of public interest and active participation in democracy through several projects described below. Students can join the American Democracy Project through OrgSync.

Projects of the GC American Democracy Project

Community Choices, Your Voices (CCYV)
Community Choices, Your Voices is a collaborative effort of the Student Government Association, Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society, College Republicans, Young Democrats, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, the Department of Government & Sociology, and the GC American Democracy Project RSO. This group of Georgia College students, faculty and staff have come together to promote democratic involvement of citizens. The group provides non-partisan information to voters through organizing candidate forums for local and state elections, publishing voter guides and voter registration activities.

Constitution Week
Every year during the week of September 17-23, Georgia College commemorates the constitution with a week of lectures, guest speakers, panels and dialogues. The events , hosted by the American Democracy Project, are a collaborative effort of Government & Sociology, Accounting, the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity and the Russell Library.

Teach-ins
The Georgia college American Democracy Project has a long history of offering teach-ins on critical issues ranging from Hurricane Katrina to Policing Practices in Ferguson. These sessions bring together experts that can address the social and academic aspects of these issues and provide a platform for community members and students to air concerns, ask questions and find ways to move towards action.

New York Times and Times Talk
Times Talk, a weekly discussion of current civic and social issues at Georgia College, was instituted in 2005. Since that time faculty, students, staff and community members have shared pizza while engaging in lively dialogue about important civic issues reported in the New York Times. Times talk occurs each Wednesday at Noon on the second floor of the Russell Library. Times Talk illustrates the values of engaged citizenship embodied by the liberal arts mission of Georgia College. As part of our partnership with the American Democracy Project and the New York Times, we are able to offer copies of the New York Times on campus.

Public Deliberation
Public Deliberation, a first-year, critical thinking course that explores forms of public deliberation in America, focuses on “deliberative democracy” and uses National Issues Forum materials. The course examines the tension between professional and policy elites that form think tanks, lobbying groups and coalitions and the role of common citizens who seek to be heard in the public square.

Public Achievement
Public Achievement guides young people working in teams on a public work project of their choice. Georgia College students, trained in the process and concepts of Public Achievement, partner with K12 students in the Baldwin County YES program to select community issues and design an action plan.